NEWS

NEWS

Spring 2017

Let's Talk Team Updates

Spring is in the air and possibly in your step as the weather warms up and we start to emerge from the hibernation period that so often accompanies winter.

Spring brings with it the possibility for change and for new beginnings. Let’s Talk Psychology Practice has experienced some exciting new changes over the past month. Our team of psychologists has grown and we have warmly welcomed Kristina LeMarne and Georgina Farrell to the Let’s Talk Team. Kristina brings with her an expertise and passion for working with adolescents and young adults and Georgina is experienced in adult mental health and lifestyle concerns.

Our NEW baby massage group, The First Touch Program, is proving to be hugely successful. Given the demand for the program, groups will run continuously throughout the year. Participants have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with their babies in which they can grow their reflective and mindfulness skills, learn about the ways in which their baby communicates with them, and learn a unique sequence of massage strokes. All of this supports the relationship between caregiver and baby! Read more about The First Touch Program under 'Group Therapies' by following the 'Services' tab.

Everyone struggles with the way they feel sometimes. It can be immensely difficult to sit with discomfort and distress, particularly in the form of extreme anxiety or extreme sadness, regardless of whether those feelings fit the situation or are the product of unhelpful thinking.

However, the more we reject our feelings, and the more we beat ourselves up for feeling the way we feel (which people often do!), the more pain we often feel. For example, feeling anxious, upset or angry about feeling anxious or upset or angry often results in more suffering as compared to non-judgmentally acknowledging the feeling of anger, upset, or worry.

The image of a beach ball comes to mind. The more you try to force a beachball underwater, the harder it pops back up. In the same way, the more we reject and force away our feelings, the harder they are to cope with.

As we come into spring, the season of ‘new beginnings’, it might be worth sitting and reflecting on how you feel about different feelings. Do you have self-compassion and validate your personal experience for being what it is? Or do you criticise yourself and ‘judge’ the way you feel? Perhaps spring can be a time of new beginnings where you practice self-compassion and acceptance of feelings!

Managing The HSC: Tips For Students By Lauren Winney (Psychologist/ Clinical Psychologist Registrar)

The HSC is undoubtedly a stressful time for most year 12’s out there. It can be difficult to keep it all in perspective and take care of yourself amidst all the deadlines and pressure. For some people, it can feel overwhelming and anxiety provoking… For others, it can be hard to stay motivated, and procrastination can take over. Here are some general tips to help you manage the academic demands of the HSC as well as maintaining your own wellbeing:

Break tasks down into smaller chunks for your study sessions. If we break tasks down into smaller chunks, they seem more achievable. As a result, we feel less overwhelmed and are often more productive. Before you sit down to study, work out what tasks need to be prioritised. Then break down each task into sections/goals. For example, rather than setting a goal of ‘study for English’, break this down into 3 smaller goals such as ‘find 10 quotes’, ‘identify techniques in the quotes’, and ‘memorize and re-write quotes’.

Consistently reward yourself along the way. Rewarding yourself after each study session will help increase your motivation to continue studying later on. There is a physiological response that occurs in your brain when you are rewarded for something – this reaction not only makes you feel good, but also increases the likelihood you will do that same thing again. So make sure you reward yourself with something pleasurable, relaxing or exciting after each study session – e.g. treating yourself to your favourite food, having a relaxing bath or massage, seeing friends, watching a favourite TV show, or playing with a pet.

Keep a balance between study and other activities. This can be easier said than done, but it is worth it for your psychological and physical wellbeing! Even if the majority of your time is spent studying, it is important to schedule in other activities such as socialising, exercising, and doing other activities you enjoy. This will help you to de-stress, and give your brain the breaks it needs to recharge.

Ask for help if you are struggling. Whether you are having trouble studying, or just feeling overwhelmed by it all, it is important to reach out and ask for help when you need it. We all need the support of others at different times in our lives, and the HSC might be one of those times for you. Talk to a trusted friend, family member, teacher, or health professional about your concerns.

Important Dates

2nd October - International Day of Non-Violence 2017

10th October - World Mental Health Day and National Mental Health Week 2017

As we transition from summer to winter, autumn offers us all an opportunity to be mindful of the changes happening within us and around us. The light and warmth of the sun is changing, and with it our self-care practices may also be undergoing change. The ways in which we stay connected to others and ourselves might also be taking on a new form.

People often think of mindfulness practice as a formalised or highly structured activity, for example through a daily guided meditation program such as the ones offered by Apps like Smiling Mind. However, mindfulness can also be an informal practice of taking a moment to bring deliberate, non-judgemental, present-focused awareness to ourselves and our surroundings.

Mindfulness has been shown in multiple empirical trials to correlate strongly with a huge range of mental and physical health bene ts. And even though you may not be in the practice of a daily mindfulness “activity”, you can still choose to have a mindful moment, or a mindful minute, or even take a mindful pause from the noisy, busy demands of your day.

This autumn, see if you can look out for moments of non-judgemental observation ofthe changes happening around and within you. You might notice the colour of the leaves changing on the trees, the crispness of the air rst thing in the morning, the warmth of the mid-morning sunlight. You might notice the creeping pull of your warm home earlier and earlier in the evening; or the reluctance of your muscles to move as freely rst thing ona dark morning. Whatever you notice doesn’t need to be labeled as “right” or “wrong”– try and allow it to “just be”. An observation, a self-re ection, a moment in time.

If we bring curiosity to these moments they offer us the opportunity to stop, be grounded, be aware, and be deliberate in the actions that we then go on to take in that very next moment.

Emotionally Intelligent Parenting by Sally Freedman (Psychologist)

Developing emotional intelligence is likely to play a big part in therapy for clients across the lifespan. Research tells us that developing emotional intelligence can buffer children, teens and adults from developing mental health conditions as they get older.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to:

• label and understand your own emotions

• understand emotion in others and respond with empathy

• deal with frustration and be able to wait to get what you want and think calmly even when distressed

be in control of how and when you express your feelings

Emotional intelligence is important because it provides us with awareness and control over what we do which usually results in more socially acceptable and positive behaviour. It helps us to mange stress, con ict, peer pressure and enables us to have more satisfying friendships and intimate relationships. Emotional intelligence results in lower levels of stress and better health. Overall it makes us more resilient.

The first step to emotional intelligence is developing emotional literacy. In an ideal world, we want to understand and accept all of the emotions we experience and all those of our loved ones. Emotions are part of the human experience. We all have them and they all serve a purpose. Even the negative ones. Jealousy motivates us to protect the things we cherish. Sadness reminds us of what is important in our lives. It makes us slow down and re ect on things. Anxiety protects us from perceived danger. Anger protects us too. It motivates us to assert boundaries to keep ourselves safe from threats. Guilt motivates us to make amends and problem solve. Accepting these emotions in ourselves and others never means we need to accept bad behaviour. What we feel and how we behave are two different things?Sitting with negative feelings can be dif cult. Some people may try and manage or avoid these emotions through alcohol use, comfort eating, distracting themselves with work or other tasks or in severe cases self harm.

Sometimes seeing our children experience these negative emotions can be dif cult. We want to take away their pain so we say comments like “ don’t be sad” “you have lots of things to be happy about”, “chin up”, “stop crying” etc. Whilst our intentions are good, the underlying message we are saying to our children in these moments are- sadness is not OK, you should not be sad in this moment and I cant handle your sadness. Our children pick up on these messages and as a result they may internalise their sadness or express it to their friends and peers rather than usas their parents. This might suit some of us well as it is hard and uncomfortable to talk about sadness. However if we want our kids to stay emotionally connected to us and reduce their feelings of isolation, we need to be able to talk about these emotions with them. We need to tune in.

Sally Freedman, psychologist at Lets Talk Psychology Practice, will be running a “Tuning into Teens” parenting course that aims to develop these skills. Tuning into Teens is an essential course for all parents of teenagers. If you would like more information please call the clinic on 0424 143 473 or send an email to info@letstalkpsychology.com.au

Understand why a child’s behaviour can sometimes cause a negative reaction in their parents/carers?

Know how to handle your child’s emotional ‘meltdowns’?

Know what approach to take when children ‘act out’?

By the end of the course- you will be able to identify your children's emotional needs and respond to their behaviours in ways which result in greater resilience, fewer behavioural difficulties, better relationships with family and friends, and support improved improved self esteem. This is a high level program that will equip you with the valuable skills of being able to read, understand, and respond to your child’s emotional needs in an appropriate way. It is also a program that helps you to maintain connection with your child even in the most challenging of situations where connection might seem impossible. And we all know the importance of having that connection with our kids, especially when they transition into adolescence. The work starts now!

THE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS

Dates: The program will commence on Tuesday 9th May 2017 and will run for 2-hrs from 12:30-2:20pm for a 6-week course. That is a total of 12-face to face contact hours.

Facilitators: The group program is facilitated by Dr Charise Deveney (Clinical Psychologist) and Sally Freedman (Psychologist)- both of which have been formally trained to facilitate the Circle of Security Parenting Program.

Cost: The cost for the 6-week program consisting of 12-contact hours is $1010. From that you will be entitled to a rebate of approximately $186. The out of pocket expense is approximately $888. Some private health funds may cover part of this gap payment (check with your specific private health fund). The program is to be paid in full upfront and then each week you will be issued with a receipt to submit to Medicare to obtain the rebate amount (approx. $31/session).

Group Numbers: Numbers are strictly limited for the group as we want to maintain a high standard of delivery service and acknowledge the need to provide each participant with the space to process and reflect on the material being presented.

How To Book: To register for the Circle of Security Parenting Program and to start the journey to a more connected and attuned relationship with your child either give us a call on #0424 143 473 or send us an email at info@letstalkpsychology.com.au.

More information: If you would like more information on the program please take a look at the Circle of Security website at: www.circleofsecurity.net There is an informative short video clip that provides a good explanation for the program.

Please feel free to forward this email to anyone whom you might think would be interested in attending.

Looking forward to hearing from you and you to have strong, connected, and meaningful relationships with your children.

Dr Charise Deveney, in conjunction with Dr Andrew Booker and Dr John Keogh (Obstetricians), is currently conducting two research projects.

1. The first project examines what information women in their prenatal and postnatal periods would find useful in a support group. Private antenatal and postnatal patients have been surveyed and the results from these surveys analysed. The information gathered is being used to inform the content of antenatal and postnatal support groups.

2. The second project evaluates the effectiveness of antenatal and postnatal motherhood support groups in preparing women for the transition to Motherhood in regard to mood, attitude, and lifestyle adjustments.